The Washington Wizards' experiment of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal may have only lasted one season, but it was a decision that ultimately altered both Westbrook's career and the Wizards' future. Two years later, let's take a look at how the Wizards roster has evolved since the team traded Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers and determine whether the moves they made were the right ones.
The Wizards trade Russell Westbrook to the Lakers
In a season that saw Westbrook average 22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds, the Wizards made the most of his trade value by executing a massive five-team trade that saw them give up Westbrook to the Lakers. In return, the Wizards received Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP), and Montrezl Harrell.
The players acquired for Westbrook didn't last long in Washington
The first player from the trade to leave the team was Montrezl Harrell at the 2022 trade deadline. He was sent to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vernon Carey Jr., Ish Smith, and a 2023 second-round pick. Carey Jr. eventually left after the season to play with the Utah Jazz and the Wizards traded the second-round pick on draft night to the Warriors for cash. The player the Warriors eventually selected was Trayce Jackson-Davis.
This now leaves us with Smith. In the 2022 offseason, he was traded along with KCP to the Nuggets in exchange for Monte Morris and Will Barton.
Next on the list was Spencer Dinwiddie, who the Wizards traded with Davis Bertans to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick that turned out to be Yannick Nzosa. As of this writing, Nzosa has yet to play in the NBA. He's spent his last two seasons playing in Spain.
Before we move on, let's take a look at what's happened thus far. The Wizards have turned Dinwiddie, KCP, Smith, Harrell, Jackson-Davis, and Bertans into Porzingis, Barton, Morris, Nzosa, and cash.
The Washington Wizards' current roster
For the players the Wizards acquired from the Nuggets, Barton left after the season to play for the Raptors. Meanwhile, Morris was traded to the Pistons for a future second-round pick.
As we all know, Porzingis only played two seasons for the Wizards and was traded to the Celtics in a three-team deal that saw them take back Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the 35th pick of the 2023 draft (Julian Phillips). By the 2024 trade deadline, Gallinari and Muscala were shipped to the Pistons to acquire Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers, while Phillips was traded to the Bulls for the Bulls' 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
Fast forward to the present, the only player left from the initial deal was Kuzma. In the 2023 offseason, Washington signed him to a four-year, $102 million contract extension. However, the Wizards still came out with a decent crop of players after trading Westbrook. From all the players they acquired and traded, if the deal happened today this is what the Wizards would get:
- Kyle Kuzma
- Tyus Jones
- Marvin Bagley III
- Isaiah Livers
- Morris Nzosa
- 2026 second-round pick
- 2027 second-round pick
As they continue to develop chemistry and develop their young pieces, the Wizards have the potential to become a formidable force in the Eastern Conference a few years from now.
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